Ben Target @ Heroes, Dragonfly

The confessional clowning of oddball Ben Target

★★★★

Review
by James McColl
| 11 Aug 2017

This is probably the most dangerous room to be in at the Fringe. Ben Target has kicked over a drink by his electronics and the crowd have just spent the last five minutes lobbing blow up bananas at each other. Next, he’s asked someone to build a ice-cream Sunday on his head. Throughout Target’s latest show, Orangeade, he is a disarming and welcoming presence. It wouldn’t work without the heavy audience participation – something he is well aware of, having hugged everybody on walking in. Yet, he never forces anyone to do anything that they might be uncomfortable with – luckily, most of the time this consists of firing toy guns and handing each other oranges.

Still, Target’s blend of confessionary clowning and self-character assassination make it a joy to be a part of. His bizarre disclosures throughout add layers to the man and breathe life into an already hilarious act. Beneath the chaos and confusion Target is a performer with a firm grip on the accelerator, never cowing to the demands of the audience. Ultimately, he leads us, manipulates us and confuses us – and we love it.